Sunday, January 31, 2010

BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #3 of 3 by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott.WW's had her world rocked from fighting Black Lanterns, being a Black Lantern and then becoming an honorary Star Sapphire.But no matter things get, she makes it look good.

THE BOYS #39 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.New story arc kicks off here with everyone getting closer to knowing stuff they ought not.Awkward moments galore!Recommended.Not for kids.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 by Brad Meltzer and Georges Jeanty."Chapter One: Buffy Has F#@$ing Superpowers."Worth it for the tribute cover alone.Recommended.

CRIMINAL: SINNERS #4 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.Ex-Army bad-ass Tracy Lawless has been busted by Uncle Sam, which leaves him almost as screwed as disappointing the gangsters he's been working for.What's an AWOL royal executioner to do?Highly recommended.

CROGAN'S MARCH HC written and drawn by Chris Schweizer.How long has it been since you've read a good French Foreign Legion story involving flesh-eating monsters?Too long, obviously!From Oni Press.

DEMO #1 of 6 by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan.A series of done-in-one stories, each one sketching pivotal events in the lives of their unique protagonists.From the author of NORTHLANDERS and DMZ.

DISNEY'S HERO SQUAD: ULTRAHEROES #1 by Riccardo Secchi and Stefano Turconi.No, this is not the first Avengers comic under the Disney logo.This is the all-ages adventures of Super Goof, the Duck Avenger, Eega Beeva and the Red Bat.And they don't meet Wolverine until next issue.From BOOM! Studios.

DOOM PATROL #7 by J.M. DeMatteis and Matthew Clark.One of the greatest DP members ever, Crazy Jane, is back. But will she bring her multiple personalities and Morrisonian weirdness with her?Plus, Metal Men!

GREEN LANTERN: SECRET ORIGIN SC by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.What it sounds like.Collecting GL #29-35 with some nifty foreshadowing of the current "Blackest Night."Recommended.

MARVEL HEARTBREAKERS #1 by Various Creators.Four Valentine's Day tales featuring the heartache of hormonal heroines.Starring Dazzler, MJ and Gwen, the Nextwave gals and Snowbird.That's right, Snowbird!You got a problem with Snowbird?Take it up with Dazzler, I say!Gotta look!

MILESTONE FOREVER #1 of 2 by Dwayne McDuffie and Many of Milestone's Original Artists.In which we see the merging of the Milestone Universe with the DCU from the Milestone POV.Gotta look!

THE QUESTION #37 by Greg Rucka, Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz.Vic Sage is back from the dead and looking to mix it up with the new Question.I loves me some Rucka but what a shame they couldn't get Dennis O'Neil to write it.

SCALPED #37 by Jason Aaron and RM Guera.When last we left our heroes Chief Red Crow was voluntarily having his guts kicked out by the Hmong gangsters.Is it possible they have him right where he wants them?Highly recommended.Not for kids.

SIEGE #2 of 4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada.For some reason someone thinks it would be a fine idea to invade a city full of gods.This in turn is guaranteed to result in an Avenger dying.Tough break, Living Lightning.(Note: I'm kidding about Living Lightning, but if Bendis did off him would people have to start calling him Dead Lightning?Because that actually sounds cooler.)

SEIGE: EMBEDDED #2 of 4 by Brian Reed and Chris Samnee.Y'know, you can't have a really great company-wide cross-over without a title devoted to the brave reporters who are covering all that stuff you've already read in the other titles.Sorta goes without saying.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #12 of 12 by Greg Rucka, James Robinson and Pete Woods.Supes and Adam Strange unravel the Kryptonian conspiracy but at what cost?Plus, it looks like Brainiac is back for seconds.Big finish!

TORCH #5 of 8 by Mike Carey, Alex Ross and Patrick Berkenkotter.They should change the name of this comic to TORCHES because there's three of 'em in this issue.Nobody can turn a one-shot into a maxi-series like Alex Ross!

ULTIMATE COMICS X #1 by Jeph Loeb and Art Adams.So it appears Ultimate Wolverine has an Ultimate Kid or he's pretending to be dead while masquerading as a surly blonde teenager.In spite of Loeb's recent output, this one merits a look because it is drawn by the great Arthur Adams.And Loeb likewise always merits a look, if only to see if he's getting his game back.Fingers crossed.

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #10 by Jason Aaron and C.P. Smith.Nobody writes Wolverine better than Jason Aaron and this one introduces a new woman into his cursed life.Good luck, lady!And may god have mercy on your immortal whatever…Highly recommended.

Store owner Greg Bennett writes in, "Seems that both owner and customer consensus is that we should extend the 50% off hardcover sale through Tuesday 2/2, since a bunch of people got snowed in this weekend and didn't get their last shot at it"

A little off the beaten path (Charlottesville), but Former EIC of Marvel and founder of Valiant Comics Jim Shooter is coming to Atlas Comics, (1750 Rio Hill Center, Charlottesville, VA 22901) on Friday, February 12, 2010 from 3:30-5:00pm.

Friday, January 29, 2010

That title up there is sarcastic, but check out the comments where two local cartoon contests - the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and the Herblock Award are specifically mentioned - Picking up the tab to enter cartoon contests, by Alan Gardner, January 13, 2010.

BTW, I've been asked to be an RFK judge again this year (mentioned in the interests of transparency), but I was told by one of the previous judges who picked Derf that they had to threaten to not give the award that year if it wasn't given to him - so the judges aren't always in sync with the award-granting organization. I can say that last year the other RFK judges and I took our roles quite seriously and spent hours pouring through a few score portfolios.

I think you're obliged to use profanity at least once when discussing and/or referencing Kevin "Silent Bob" Smith. I read it on Wikipedia. Or something.

So yes, Kevin Smith is coming to DC. It's quite a ways away, but tickets went on sale this morning through TicketMaster. He's coming to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in NW on Thursday, April 22nd at 8pm. Anyone up for this? I've seen some of his college tour content on TV and he is hilarious.

This is a good interview. Luis Hernandez asks some good questions and gets into Kal's different procedures for doing an editorial cartoon vs an Economist cover, and also gets Kal to mention his earliest influence - one I hadn't heard before - Dr. Seuss.

Since 1978, Kevin Kallaugher has made a name for himself as a political cartoonist – drawing thousands of cartoons for papers like The Baltimore Sun, the New York Times and Newsweek. He’s probably best known for his dozens of cover pieces for the Economist. Kallaugher is the guest speaker for the Speakers Assembly of Southwest Florida this week and he joins us to talk about his craft.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Today's Post (and the Express) had a cute photograph by Sarah L. Voisin of the children of the Fine family dressed as Superman and Flash Gordon. The caption said they were "preparing to see a Superman exhibit at the National Museum of American History on Sunday, but they missed it." As far as I recall the last Superman exhibit was for his 50th birthday in 1988 which means they missed it by quite a lot. -17 years in the case of the older boy.

A stunning graphic adaptation of one of the most famous, contested, and important books of all time.

Few books have been as controversial or as historically significant as Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Since the moment it was released on November 24, 1859, Darwin’s masterwork has been heralded for changing the course of science and condemned for its implied challenges to religion.

In Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, author Michael Keller and illustator Nicolle Rager Fuller introduce a new generation of readers to the original text. Including sections about his pioneering research, the book’s initial public reception, his correspondence with other leading scientists, as well as the most recent breakthroughs in evolutionary theory, this riveting, beautifully rendered adaptation breathes new life into Darwin’s seminal and still polarizing work.

Michael Keller, an award-winning journalist and writer, has a bachelor of science degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Nicolle Rager Fuller is a professional illustrator, with a bachelor of arts degree in biochemistry from Lewis and Clark College and a graduate certificate in science illustration from the University of California-Santa Cruz. She lives in Washinton, DC, with her husband.

Few books have been as controversial or as historically significant as Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Since it was released on November 24, 1859, Darwin’s masterwork has been heralded for changing the course of science and condemned for its implied challenges to religion.

In Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, author Michael Keller and illustator Nicolle Rager Fuller introduce a new generation of readers to the original text. Including sections about his pioneering research, the book’s initial public reception, his correspondence with other leading scientists, as well as the most recent breakthroughs in evolutionary theory, this engaging, beautifully rendered adaptation breathes new life into Darwin’s seminal and still polarizing work.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

AFRODISIAC HC by Brian Maruca and Jim Rugg."By day he cleans up your office, by night he cleans up the streets: Alan Diesler, a.k.a. Afrodisiac!A mysterious man from a faraway land – the original unbeatable, irresistible, smooth dark chocolate brother, b!^<!"You want this in the worst possible way.There's an eleven-page preview up on comixology.com that will sell even the most hardened skeptic.Highly recommended!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619 by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin.Mysterio's back working for the Maggia (I know…) and Aunt May has become Dark Aunt May!This is totally the plot for the next Spider-Man movie!Gotta look!

ARCHIE #605 by Michael Uslan and Stan Goldberg.The final chapter in the "Archie Marries Betty" storyline in which things play out the way Nature intended.Fun for all ages.

ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #1 of 4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson.The decades-spanning quest of the Williams brothers to catch their parents' killer continues.It's the mid-80s and they're getting warmer.Recommended.

ATOM AND HAWKMAN #46 by Geoff Johns and Ryan Sook.Newly-minted member of the Indigo Tribe, Ray Palmer must use the indigo light of compassion to beat a pack of zombie Black Lanterns dressed up like his dearest friends.Tough gig.

BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA #2 of 3 by James Robinson and Eddy Barrows.Dead JSAers all around!Black power rings hungry for hearts!Earth-2's mightiest corpses!Gotta look!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #6 of 6 by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice.This is the Big One!The return of the dead star-spangled hero who's already been knocking around peripheral titles for the past month and a half!Make Mine Timely!

CHEW #8 by John Layman and Rob Guillory.Agent Chu must track down the murderers of some guys who make their living cock-fighting.He must also track down a sense of urgency.Recommended.

DAREDEVIL #504 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre.Marvel promises a "shattering climax" in this one and that's always been good enough for me!But whose climax will it be and what will it shatter?Team Diggle!

IRREDEEMABLE #10 by Mark Waid and Peter Krause.In which we learn more about what Bette Noir and the Plutonian were up to behind everyone's back.Rough stuff.Recommended.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #6 of 7 by James Robinson and Mauro Cascioli.Chopping off Red Arrow's arm was a bold move, but what else does Prometheus have up his sleeve?Other than Red Arrow's arm, I mean…

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41 by James Robinson and Mark Bagley.When Congorilla joins the JLA that's either the first issue you're buying or the last.On the other hand, he's no Rocket Red.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #35 by Bill Willingham and Travis Moore.The gang decides they've taken enough guff for a while and starts dishing it out.Piping hot!

KICK ASS #8 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl start killing people but they are all bad.This will be a movie.For real.Not for kids.

NEW AVENGERS #61 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen.Steve Rogers is back with the Avengers just in time for the Siege of Asgard.Okay, awkward…

NORTHLANDERS #24 by Brian Wood and Leandro Fernandez.Supplies are running low and now the Vikings have to go outside the village walls to forage, plague or not.Was that a cough…?Recommended.

PILOT SEASON: DEMONIC #1 by Robert Kirkman and Joe Benitez.A new hero's in town and he's possessed by a homicidal demon!Or is he?

PREVIEWS by Diamond and Marvel Comics.A way to plan your future comics shopping that never crashes and won't try to sell you Viagra!

SUPERMAN #696 by James Robinson and Bernard Chang.Mon-El and his buds set out to give General Zod's sleeper agent a wake-up call.The heat vision's gonna fly!

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #4 of 6 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.The Man of Steel has his first major fight with the Parasite!Major!

THOR #606 by Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan.Doctor Doom has gassed up the Destroyer armor and challenged Thor to drag!Big fight!

ULTIMATE COMICS: ENEMY #1 of 4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Rafa Sandoval.The greatest threat to the Ultimates universe is revealed and it ain't internal continuity!

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #3 of 6 by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri.The zombies have overrun Baker Street!Can the brain of Sherlock Holmes solve this problem before it gets eaten?Pip-pip!

WALKING DEAD #69 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard.And in the other great zombie book, the survivors arrive at what's left of Washington DC.Okay, serious note: I was just down in DC yesterday and the anti-abortion protestors left the place looking pretty much exactly like the cover of this comic.Politics aside, these people are unbelievable litterbugs.Not cool, kids.Not.Cool.

WONDER WOMAN #40 by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti.WW fights The Crows, five guys dressed like Catholic schoolboys.Years of therapy not included.

X-FACTOR #201 by Peter David and Bing Cansino.The Invisible Woman has disappeared and…!Hey, wait a minute…

Saturday, January 23, 2010

I wanted to alert you that I will be on WYPR's Maryland Morning on Friday discussing the great website www.USDemocrazy.com. USDemocrazy is a project that I lead as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The site is a current events/educational/entertainment site dedicated to making the news fun and interesting.

According to this press release Cartoonist Takes Up the Cause (1/5/10) from the Army Historical Foundation, Jim Scancarelli is featuring Skeezix's World War II service in the Gasoline Alley strip to call attention to the Arlington-based Foundation's attempt to build a National Museum of the US Army at Fort Belvoir, VA.

Check out today's Cul de Sac. Cartoonist have been saving themselves some effort on redrawing similar figures, at least since photocopiers became common, and certainly today with the prevalence of scanners. But not our Richard - note how Alice and Petey are slightly different in every drawing - and then enjoy that madcap 3rd panel. I think this gag actually works better in black and white too - the 3rd panel looks both more and less busy sans color.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Graphic Novel BookgroupWednesday, January 27, 7:30 p.m.Stitches, by David Small

One of these days, I may actually make it to this. But notwithstanding that, Stitches is a very good book - one of the best graphic books to come out last year. It's a nonfiction account of Small's childhood and the medical problem he labored under.

Tom the Dancing Bug cartoonist Ruben Bolling is raising money for Haiti - he's set up a donation page and the two highest donors will get an original drawing from him. Check it out now. [Those of us with longish memories still miss Tom from the Post's Weekend section].

Ok, I just checked it out after putting up this post - I'm the first donor. Hah! Beat that! I'll bet you can.

Animators Bill Plympton and Patrick Smith have started a blog - Scribble Junkies. I'm a big fan of Plympton's work - he comes through town about every other year and I'd recommend meeting him, seeing his animation and buying his cartoon books.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Why is ComicsDC linking to this? Well, she's a friend of Greg Bennett of Big Planet who helps her on the translations into English. And Titan's sent me a review copy of the current collection which I still need to post on here.

This week in the magazine, Dana Goodyear writes about Neil Gaiman. On Wednesday, January 20th, at 3 P.M. E.T., Gaiman will be joining Goodyear for a live chat with readers. Submit advance questions for Gaiman and Goodyear, sign up for an e-mail reminder below, and come back Wednesday to join the discussion.

There's a long article about Gaiman in the magazine and online too. For some obligatory DC content, Gaiman's read at Politics & Prose and the National Book Festival.

My first Washington City Paper blog post is online now. Nothing special, just introducing myself. I'm going to try to get the first content post written tonight though, and over to my editor. Heh. I like having an editor.

I've been asked by the Washington City Paper to freelance for them so I'll be writing longer pieces on comic art, most often for their blog I'd guess. I've submitted an introduction tonight and hope to have a piece about Wednesday and comic books up later this week. I will of course link from here to anything I write for them.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

AVENGERS VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 by Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman.A bit of space-time screwiness results in the Atlas gang duking it out with Captain America and the original Avengers!Retro-lovers must look!

BRAVE AND BOLD #31 by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz.The Atom versus the Joker!Yeah, you read it right…

CAPTAIN AMERICA #602 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.The drug-addled, paranoid, racist Captain America from the 1950s is back!But what's he been up to since resigning as Rush Limbaugh's life-coach?Recommended.

DARK AVENGERS #13 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato.The secrets of the Sentry are finally revealed!No not those secrets!The other ones!No, those were last issue's secrets!These are the real secrets, the double super-secret secrets!You ain't never heard secrets like these, pal, believe you me!This is actually a very fun comic which you should read.Honest.

GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: HAPPY VALLEY #2 of 9 by Garth and Carlos Ezquerra.The crew prepares for their final bombing run against the German industrial heartland, but the krauts are preparing too.Recommended.

HULK #19 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.Red Hulk smash Thing!

INCORRUPTIBLE #2 by Mark Waid and Neil Edwards.Ex-bad guy Max Damage is on the road to redemption, but can even he bring down the rogue Plutonian?Recommended.

JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 of 8 by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy.A mature readers series about a young Type-1 diabetic who may or may not be a fantasy adventure hero in a land full of toys.It's Morrison so a look is required.

JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: THIRTEEN GOING ON EIGHTEEN HC written and drawn by John Stanley.Collecting the sixties comics series about two teens, Val and Judy, and all their cruel intentioned hijinks.From Drawn & Quarterly and Seth.

RASL #6 written and drawn by Jeff Smith.Rasl gets serious about taking the lizard-faced killer out of the picture, but first he needs to swipe few more goodies.Weird science!Highly recommended!

SOLOMON KANE: DEATH'S BLACK RIDERS #1 of 4 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara.When Robert E. Howard's puritan Terminator goes questing through Germany's Black Forest you are permitted to feel pity for any bandit or demon who gets in his way.

SUPERBOY: THE GREATEST TEAM-UPS EVER TOLD SC by Many Legendary Creators.Collected here: Key issues of ADVENTURE, SUPERBOY and NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY featuring the boy of steel and his amazing friends!

T-MINUS: RACE TO THE MOON GN by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon.Bringing the space race between America and the USSR into glorious graphic novel form!Recommended!

THUNDERBOLTS #140 by Jeff Parker and Miguel Angel Sepulveda.When they're not fighting the original Avengers and/or each other the Atlas kids like to wail on the criminals masquerading as heroes a bit.Let's look, shall we?

UNCANNY X-MEN #520 by Matt Fraction and Greg Land.There appear to be three separate storylines in this comic so odds are you'll like at least one of them.

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #9 by Jason Aaron and Yanick Paquette.Wolvie's pals show up to bust him out of the nuthouse!Let's hope they brought a lot of Bactine!Recommended.

Nate's cartoon today, Helping Hand in Haiti, represents an interesting thing one can do with comic art. Nate made one large drawing, but then put the idea of time into the drawing by adding in the rectangle on the one side. our familiarity with the mechanics of comics means this functions as a brake on the reader's eye, so that the illusion of the passage of time is created even in one continuous drawing.

With a touch of art, style and humor Art Soiree celebrates one year of Obama’s presidency by presenting a one of a kind exhibition.

Join us Sunday, January 17th at 7pm for the most unique and controversial event in the country.

Obama’s Portfolio: Humorous highlights of the first year in office.

For ages graphic satire has been a significant journalistic medium and a catalyst for political debate. This exclusive ONE NIGHT ONLY exhibition will feature the most renowned editorial and political cartoonists from world’s top newspapers and magazines. Their works have been published in the Economist, NYTimes, Huffington Post and many other well known publications. Come and judge for yourself whether their graphic satire represents your, the citizen’s, perspective of the political life. The exhibition will provide a full analysis on Obama’s administration through political cartoons published in 2009.

All of this and more will take place this Sunday at Hudson Restaurant and Lounge – a great spot for socializing with friends over distinctively creative cocktails and great food in a warm and elegant atmosphere.

As always, Art Soiree promises to draw area’s most celebrated figures in both social and political arenas, may be even the president himself!!!

Adventure Theatre, the longest-running children's theatre in the Washington, D.C., area is kicking-off its 31st Annual Summer Musical Theatre Workshop for children ages 6-15 with an exciting line-up of children's productions including Disney's Aladdin Jr., Disney's 101 Dalmatians Kids, The Magical Land of Oz and Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum*, each facilitated by professionally trained Directors, Choreographers, and Musical Directors.

The Summer Musical Theatre Workshop is a daytime workshop in which children audition for one of four age-appropriate productions, and will then participate in two full weeks of show rehearsals, music and dancing which culminate in a full-scale production of each show on the Adventure Theatre stage. Students will also attend Adventure Theatre's main stage performance If You Give a Pig a Pancake, ride Glen Echo Park's carousel, participate in a talent show, receive a commemorative t-shirt and enjoy a cast party. Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre Workshop has proven to be one of the most rewarding, challenging and confidence-boosting summer experiences for kids.

"We are increasing the value of the workshops by staffing them with instructors and counselors who can accommodate children with musical-theater aspirations, while keeping the same atmosphere of relaxed fun for those who don't," says Kathryn Hnatio, Education Director and acting Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Artistic Director.

Michael Bobbitt, Adventure Theatre's Producing Artistic Director and Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Choreographer continues, "Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre session is a highly interactive and educational workshop that focuses on fun, teamwork, self-esteem, a sense of ownership, presentation skills and bringing out the best performance from each of its students."

Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre Workshops run Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm, June 14th to August 27th. Before and aftercare options are available.

Session 1 (mini session)- June 14 – 18

Session 2 – June 21 - July 2

Session 3 – July 5- July 16

Session 4 – July 19 - July 30

Session 5 – August 2 - August 13

Session 6 - August 16 - August 27

For more information or to inquire about tuition prices, please contact Adventure Theatre's Summer Musical Theatre Workshop Program Coordinator Selena Anguiano at 301-634-2275 or sanguiano@adventuretheatre.org. Also, visit www.adventuretheatre.org for more information on the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop and other educational programs at Adventure Theatre.

This rolled in today... personally, I'd go. I love his books. 2 British comic adaptions have been combined into one large book last year that's a pretty good read.

Greetings, all Discworld fans and convention-goers! As most of you are probably already aware, the first ever North American Discworld Convention took place in Tempe, Arizona from September 4 - 7, 2009, and was deemed a big success by guests and attendees alike! Once again, I and the entire 2009 committee would like to thank all of our amazing guests, participants, committee, staff, volunteers, and attendees for helping to make the con the wonderful experience that it was. Thank you! I have linked many photos, videos, and accounts of the convention on the convention website, so if you haven't yet seen that, please feel free to head over there and take a look: http://www.nadwcon.org.

The 2009 committee was delighted to hear that everyone had such a great time, and honored to learn that, due to the convention's success, many are clamoring for another one! Our Guest of Honor, Sir Terry Pratchett himself, has said that he is definitely willing to appear again as Guest of Honor (health and circumstances permitting) should there be another NADWCon.

The committee has been approached by representatives of several cities interested in hosting the next North American Discworld Convention, and thus, after consulting with Sir Terry Pratchett, a North American Discworld Convention Steering Committee (to be known hereafter as "The Guild of Chelonavigators") has been formed from among several folks intimately involved in the successful organization and presentation of NADWCon 2009. The purpose of this oversight committee is to: 1) determine the next convention location and organizing group; 2) offer guidance and information to the next convention committee as it prepares for NADWCon 2011; 3) maintain a consistent archive of information and data related to past NADWCons; and 4) manage any con-related funds or properties during transition periods between cons. The members of The Guild are as follows:

Regarding the decision as to where NADWCon 2011 will be held, it has been decided to ask for bid proposals from any fan organization interested in hosting the next con. These will be carefully considered by The Guild before a decision is made and a group chosen, after which The Guild and the 2009 committee will pass the torch of our responsibility and experience as the organizers of this unique Discworldian event to the chosen group, but will remain available for consultation as a source of information, guidance, and resources.

If you love the idea of having an NADWCon in your city, and are considering proposing your local group and city as the best host for the next NADWCon, please first carefully consider both the goals and responsibilities of this convention, some of the main ones being:

- To provide a well planned, smooth and well organized, exciting and uniquely fun Discworld experience for new and old Discworld fans of all ages, as well as for our guests;- To make the convention easily accessible and reasonably affordable for fans to attend; - To meet or exceed the level of programming and fun experiences provided by the first NADWCon, including such staples as a charity auction, gala banquet, and Discworld Maskerade;- To retain the Discworld flavor and culture of a Pratchett-centric convention; - To keep proper records and responsible accountings of the planning and management of the NADWCon, and to preserve these for future archiving with The Guild of Chelonavigators.

Please also be aware that planning a convention of this magnitude requires the dedication, determination, and cooperation of a number of experienced organizers with excellent planning, teamwork, organizational and communication skills. Planning and running a convention can be an amazing experience, but please remember that it requires a lot of time and hard work, as well as a willingness to put the good of the convention first. Any group that bids for the next NADWCon should have a number of willing and experienced volunteers local to the convention location to form the backbone of their potential convention committee.

And now, for those who are interested, onward to the bid proposal process!

Bid Proposal Process

Please include all information requested below on your bid submission, which should be emailed to nadwconbids2011@nadwcon.org. Please be as detailed as possible when appropriate, and feel free to include any additional information that might help in the decision as to why your city and organization would be the best host for NADWCon2011.

Bid submissions should consist of:

1) Name and contact information (address, email, and phone) of submitting person or organization;

3) Possible hotel(s) to host the con, with as much detail as possible regarding what arrangements could be agreed upon with the hotel; a Letter of Intent from the proposed hotel is recommended. Please also include information on methods, costs, and ease of travel to and from the hotel(s) proposed;

4) Names and contact information for proposed key committee members, with summaries of their past experiences in fandom and convention organizing.

a. Please list potential committee members for as many of these committee positions as possible, and any others which you expect to fill:

b. Please include one or more references who can speak to the individual's relevant experience and qualifications; a personal statement from the individual is also welcome.

5) Estimated convention budget with breakdown of expected expenses, along with information on any start-up funds that may be available to the committee;

6) Any other information you feel would be pertinent or helpful.

The deadline for bid proposals is midnight, March 15, 2010. Once the deadline has closed, proposals will be carefully reviewed by The Guild, and a decision will be made and announced to bid applicants by approximately April 15, 2010.

Once a decision has been made, a representative of The Guild will contact the prevailing 2011 organization in order to facilitate the sharing of useful information and resources. AFTER such contact, The Guild will publicly announce the winning bid, and the 2011 committee may then move forward in planning the 2011 NADWCon.

Please let me know via the email address provided above if you have any questions on the bid proposal process. Good luck, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Emily S. Whitten

Vice Chair and Webmaster, NADWCon2009 Chair, The Guild of Chelonavigators

It's hard to believe, but Betty Boop music boxes were among the most popular at the longtime, but now closing, Music Box Center according to a photo caption in today's paper. The image isn't online. Boop was created in 1930, and has not appeared in entertainment media since the 1980s, but like Hello Kitty still seems to be able to move merchandise. Including music boxes.

Richmond, Va.: When I was looking at the first Arnold strip, my eyes accidentally leaped to the last panel where I saw the balloon "I consumed white death!" It made me smile, and I went back to read the whole thing. Er...mayonnaise is the white death? Er...okay. The only way I could think there's a joke in there is if it is a running gag - he hates mayo and the lunch ladies tricked him into eating it with the tuna salad. Anyway, it was kind of deflating that such a cool punchline had such a bad setup. I may use that line, though.

Gene Weingarten: Yes, his hatred of mayo was a running gag -- as was his war with the cafeteria ladies. But I contend this was all implicit in the strip you read.

----

And lastly, I put Arnold in there because it was a near-great strip. Arnold never succeeded because Arnold was, at its wicked little heart, really mean-spirited. It scared newspaper editors who (incorrectly) believed that the comics pages were the province of children. Arnold was really daring, and different -- it featured a child who had no innocence whatsoever.

When Arnold failed the cartoonist gave it all up and became (I kid you not) a minister. That's what he's doing now.

_______________________

Lansing, Mich.: Hey, Gene! I was talking about "Arnold" with someone at Jef's book-release party last month (I wish I could remember who -- he specifically cited the "white death" strip you ran as one of his favorites.)

I had a (possibly unreasonably) strong devotion to "Arnold" when I was in college and find in reading it now that I'm still rather fond of it, although I have a little tougher time with the quality of the art these days.

I gave it a "pretty good".

Gene Weingarten: I asked a comics editor about this recently, and she, too, had some problems with the art; I don't see it, but you and Jef and she are pros, so I bow.

Joel Pollack mentioned this week that he's been writing his autobiography and putting it on the store's website. Joel's been a part of the comics scene for a long time and I hope he keeps fleshing this out.

Here's another CD Batchelor cartoon from World War 2 on the dangers of venereal disease from the collection of the National Museum of Health and Medicine. You can see earlier posts on Batchelor here and here.

This photo of a poster is by Lynn Brudon also from World War 2. I don't know anything else about him or the poster.

Ben Claassen III's Dirtfarm, the only comic strip still in the City Paper (sigh), has "Versus! Cartoonist Battle! Single Life vs. Married Life. Ben Claassen vs. Luster Kaboom". One can vote on which strip is the best at Dirtfarm's site.

Claassen is still doing regular illos for the Express' advice column as well.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Palm restaurant caricature pictures appeared incidentally in Post today, in an article on waiters who remember orders as opposed to writing them down. The article, oddly enough, appeared above the fold on the front page so one could seen Brant Parker's Wizard of Id in the background by the waiter's head.

Robert Wright has an excellent interview on Bloggingheads.tv with Mark Alan Stamaty, who was regularly seen in the Post with Washingtoons years ago. Stamaty talks about his Washington Post experience at 17:35. Wow, it ran for 12 years in the Post!

Unlike many major cities, including Baltimore, Washington lacks a true comics convention (the closest thing perhaps being the annual Small Press Expo in Rockville). Tillman, who last year hosted a panel at the granddaddy animation event, San Diego Comic-Con, thinks the time is ripe for Washington. "We've got so many animators and so many other artists and so much talent in the area, there's no reason Washington shouldn't have its own big convention."

I have heard that we lack a local comics con partly due to the lack of affordable reasonably-sized spaces which is why SPX is now in Rockville, Gaithersburg or North Bethesda. Still, let's here from our "so many animators".

Saturday, January 09, 2010

ADVENTURE COMICS #6 by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul.Superboy is determined to do something nice for Lex Luthor.Y'know, to bring out the good in him.This should be awesome!Recommended.

ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON HORNBOOK by Moore and Jacen Burrows.Prepping you for the sequel to Moore's THE COURTYARD, a modern take on the H.P. Lovecraft mythos.Sure to be demented in all the right ways.Crazy or not, Alan Moore is always a "gotta look!"

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #617 by Joe Kelly and Max Fiumara.The Rhino is back and he really wants to kill… the Rhino?!But what will the Rhino have to say about this?

BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE #4 of 6 by Kevin Smith and Walter Flanagan.After a month off (which is really not bad for a Kevin Smith book) BWG is back as Batman tries to turn a bit more of the crime-fighting workload over to his new admirer.Silly Batman!Don't you know what happens when you trust someone in Gotham City?

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #31 by Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty.Buffy flies.Willow glows.Oz says just the right thing.Of course he does!Whedon's writing!Recommended.

DAYTRIPPER #2 of 10 by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon.OK, after last issue I'm not sure how this is possible, but this issue Bras and his best friend go on a nature hike and find more than they bargained for.Recommended.

MARVELS PROJECT #5 of 8 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.Steve Rogers puts on the red, white and blue and the Sub-Mariner comes up for a look.Recommended!

NO HERO SC by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp.Collecting the full run of the adventures of one of Ellis's less fortunate super-wannabes.And that's saying something.

POWER OF SHAZAM #48 by Eric Wallace and Don Kramer.Osiris is back from the dead as a Black Lantern.And weren't we all secretly longing for that to happen?And what does a zombie who's half-alligator poop look like?Gotta look!

PUNISHERMAX #3 by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon.One of the best Punisher stories in quite a while has Wilson Fisk clawing his way to Kingpin-dom and trying not to get killed doing it.Oh, and the Punisher's in it, too!Highly recommended.Not for kids.

SECRET SIX #17 by John Ostrander, Gail Simone and J. Calafiore.Part two of the Secret Six/Suicide Squad team-up finds the Six needing to rescue Deadshot from the Squad.Maybe certain parties need this "team-up" concept explained a little more carefully…

STRANGE #3 of 4 by Mark Waid and Emma Rios.The ex-Sorcerer Supreme and his newest apprentice go road-tripping in the American South.And you thought you'd seen Mindless Ones before!Recommended.

STUFFED GN by Glen Eichler and Nick Bertozzi.From a writer of "The Colbert Report" and the creator of "Daria" comes this multiple-categoried concoction about a couple who inherit a Museum of Curiosities and discover that sometimes names don't quite cover it.Recommended.

TROUBLEMAKERS HC written and drawn by Gilbert Hernandez.Drugs, greedy-low-lifes, fires, beheadings and gunplay!It don't get pulpier than this!Not for kids!

Friday, January 08, 2010

Saturday January 30, 2010The Hunter with Darwyn Cooke Lectures & Seminars4:00 PMMcEvoy Auditorium, Lower LevelAmerican Art MuseumEisner Award–winning writer and artist Darwyn Cooke will discuss his evocative graphic novel, The Hunter, based on the 1962 crime classic by Donald E. Westlake (writing under the name Richard Stark). This best seller has been critically acclaimed in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post for breathing new life into one of the classic characters of crime fiction. With a visual style that both pays homage to and plays with ‘60s retro style, The Hunter vividly depicts the film noir genre.Limited free tickets (two per person), G Street Lobby, one hour prior. Book signing follows.McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level

The Art Institute of Washington has Gigacon, a media arts convention going on today an dtomorrow at the National Building Museum. Animators from Adult Swim and other places are attending as is David Silva, a sculptor for McFarlane Toys. Cost is $10, and it runs from 10 am-5 pm. Here's a pdf poster with more information.

The ToonSeum's in Pittsburgh, but DC's Nevin Martell is speaking there...

The ToonSeum January Lecture SeriesThe ToonSeum announces the line up for it's January Saturday Lecture Series.The series features artists and authors discussing various aspects of the cartoon arts and its history. The ToonSeum is Pittsburgh's Museum of Cartoon Art. Located in downtown Pittsburgh's cultural district. It is one of only three museums dedicated to comics and cartoons in the nation.

January 16th, 5:30 PM

Rob Rogers

Rob Rogers will be at the ToonSeum speaking about his 25 years as an editorial cartoonist in Pittsburgh and his new book, "No Cartoon Left Behind."

As a editorial cartoonist for the last 25 years, Rob Rogers' cartoons appear regularly in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Newsweek, and USA Today, among others. His "How the Gingrich Stole Christmas" graced the cover of Newsweek's 1994 year-end issue. He received the 1995 National Headliner Award, the 2000 Overseas Press Club Award and has won seven Golden Quill Awards. In 1999, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

In his new book, "No Cartoon Left Behind", Rogers recounts his humorous path to cartooning and shares his own personal perspective on the major news stories of the past two and a half decades, covering a diverse range of topics including the Cold War, gun control, smoking, racism, the environment, 9/11 and presidential elections. It is considered as a must-have for political junkies, history buffs, cartoon fans.

January 23rd, 5:30 pm

Finding Calvin and Hobbes with author Nevin Martell

Author Nevin Martell shares his quest to uncover the story behind one of comics most elusive creators, Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes.

For ten years, between 1985 and 1995, Calvin and Hobbes was one the world's most beloved comic strips. And then, on the last day of 1995, the strip ended. Its mercurial and reclusive creator, Bill Watterson, not only finished the strip but withdrew entirely from public life. There is no merchandising associated with Calvin and Hobbes: no movie franchise; no plush toys; no coffee mugs; no t-shirts (except a handful of illegal ones). There is only the strip itself, and the books in which it has been compiled- including The Complete Calvin and Hobbes: the heaviest book ever to hit the New York Times bestseller list.

In Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip, writer Nevin Martell traces the life and career of the extraordinary, influential, and intensely private man behind Calvin and Hobbes. With input from a wide range of artists and writers (including Dave Barry, Harvey Pekar, Jonathan Lethem, andBrad Bird) as well as some of Watterson's closest friends and professional colleagues, this is as close as we're ever likely to get to one of America's most ingenious and intriguing figures - and a fascinating detective story, at the same time.

Only 3,160 Calvin and Hobbes strips were ever produced, but Watterson has left behind an impressive legacy. Calvin and Hobbes references litter the pop culture landscape and his fans are as varied as they are numerable. Looking for Calvin and Hobbes is an affectionate and revealing book about uncovering the story behind this most uncommon trio - a man, a boy, and his tiger.

January 30th, 5:30 pm

Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, Author- Todd Depastino

The program will be an illustrated talk on the great World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin, an army infantry sergeant who rocketed to fame at age twenty-two with his wildly popular feature "Up Front." Week after week, Mauldin defied army censors, German artillery, and General George Patton's pledge to throw him in jail for insubordination to deliver his grim depictions of war to "Stars and Stripes" and hundreds of homefront newspapers.

There, readers followed the stories of Willie and Joe, two wise-cracking 'dogfaces' whose mud-caked uniforms and pidgin of army slang and slum dialect bore eloquent witness to the world of combat and the men who lived - and died - in it. We have never viewed war in the same way since.

The talk is based on Todd's book, BILL MAULDIN: A LIFE UP FRONT (W.W.Norton, 2008), a winner of the 2009 Anne M. Sperber Prize for biography. Todd is also editor of acclaimed WILLIE & JOE: THE WWII YEARS (Fantagraphics Books, 2008), the first complete collection of Mauldin's World War II.

His previous books include CITIZEN HOBO: HOW A CENTURY OF HOMELESSNESS SHAPED AMERICA (University of Chicago Press, 2003) which won a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. He has a Ph.D. in American History from Yale University and teaches at Waynesburg University. Currently, he lives in Mt. Lebanon with his wife and two daughters.

ComicsDC is a blog for information and events relating to cartoons, cartoonists and comics including comic books, webcomics, comic strips, political cartoons, animation and caricature in Washington, DC and its environs (roughly Baltimore, MD down to Richmond, VA). Press releases including store events are welcomed. Established 2006.

Matt Dembicki, feature writer

About Matt Dembicki

Matt Dembicki is a cartoonist workin' and livin' in the DMV (District-Maryland-Virginia area). He previously edited and contributed to the Eisner-nominated and Aesop Prize-winning 'Trickster' and the Harvey-nominated District Comics, which the Washington Post included in its top books of 2012. Matt's other comics projects include the nature-based graphic novels Xoc: The Journey of a Great White (Oni Press) and Mr. Big: A Tale of Pond Life (Sky Pony Press). Matt is a co-founder of the D.C. Conspiracy, a local comic creators collective that publishes the semi-annual free comics newspaper Magic Bullet.